After Tragic Death of Two Wives, Brave 97-Year-Old Opens Heart to Dating Once Again

By Amanda Thomason February 9, 2019 at 1:15pm

Despite the fact that we might think some displays of love on television are over the top or cheesy, there’s still something about dating shows that continue to draw people in.

“First Dates” is a show British show that pairs up individuals and follows every moment of their first encounter as they meet for a meal.

“First Dates and First Dates Hotel are documentary series which help contributors find a partner from a pool of other singletons and captures the highs and lows of first dates on camera,” the show’s website explains.

“Each episode will feature a number of intimate first dates. In-depth interviews will help the viewers get to know the daters. Discreet cameras will record the date from start to finish – from first impressions, through all the awkward, heart-warming and funny moments, to the end of the date and the discussion about whether or not a second date is on the cards.”

The on-screen cringe-worthy moments are just as delicious — if not more so — than the truly romantic ones for most viewers. But that doesn’t hold true for this episode, which follows a war veteran by the name of Richard.

Richard has an incredible story. To begin with, he’s a WWII veteran. Then, there’s his age: 97. He’s been single for five years after his second wife tragically passed away from pneumonia. His first wife died of cancer.

But he’s still not quite ready to throw in the towel just yet.

“My body isn’t young but my brain is,” he said on the show, claiming that his mind still worked like that of a 30-year-old man’s.

At the beginning of the episode, he doesn’t have high hopes, explaining that he didn’t think any woman would give him a second look — but Ruth just might.

Ruth has experienced loss of her own, having outlived her husband. But she knows that a connection takes more than mere physical attraction, and she’s clearly wowed by Richard’s story.

“We were holding this bridge,” he told her, “the Arnhem Bridge in Holland. There was Italians and Germans, SS men with tanks, so we were on our own against all these Germans. We never had a chance.”

“I was quite knackered but all them boys that got killed and marooned, and back in England all the lovely people that got bombed, it was horrible.”

“I used to have nightmares here and there,” he admitted, “thinking about all the horrible things that happened.”

Ruth called him “amazing” and said that “if I had a hat I would take my hat off to you.”

She is only 79 and Richard is a good 18 years older than her, but that didn’t seem to bother her.

By the end of the clip, they both expressed an interest in seeing each other again and decided to meet for lunch together. Whether or not things worked out for this lovely couple, their stories are certainly some of the most wholesome and heartwarming you’ll find.

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